Article display and transfer counter unit



p 1967 G. c. THOMPSON 3,343,900

ARTICLE DISPLAY AND TRANSFER COUNTER UNIT Filed April 22, 1965 INVENTOR.

fiM Z W ATTORNEYS GARY C. THOMPSON United States Patent 3,343,900 ARTICLE DISPLAY AND TRANSFER COUNTER UNIT Gary C. Thompson, 978 South 19th East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84105 Filed Apr. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 450,101 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-1401) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fixed and movable counter unit in which a movable counter is travelled between an extreme position abutting a first fixed counter and spaced from a second fixed counter and another extreme position abutting the second fixed counter and spaced from the first fixed counter.

Brief description This invention relates to article display and transfer counters and more particularly to combined fixed and movable counters that afford maximum security for articles placed thereon, while still insuring easy isolated customer inspection of them.

During sales of expensive items such as are found in jewelry stores, for example, the customer frequently desires to handle and closely examine items before purchasing. Thus the item to be examined is removed from the display case and placed on top of the case for careful study. During this close inspection other items in the display case often distract the prospective purchaser to the point that he becomes undecided and does not make a purchase.

The usual display counters found in jewelry stores, department stores and other merchandising outlets afford little protection against theft of items displayed therein. They are generally of frame and glass construction with large volume displays of merchandise placed inside for customer-observation. These are usually either open at the back to allow clerks or other staff personnel easy access or they have easily opened doors. In either instance, an unscrupulous person can easily and quickly reach in and remove merchandise from the display case and then walk away from the area-the theft often not being discovered until much later.

Similar security problems are encountered in banks and other money handling institutions that deal with the general public. The usual tellers cages, for example, are quite foreboding and do not assist banks in maintaining a good public image. To overcome this some means of safeguarding the money must be provided that avoids the use of customer repelling, austere, tellers cages having bars or other divider structure separating institution employees and the customers with whom they deal.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a low level display counter arrangement whereby valuables can be easily displayed, readily transferred to a customer for isolated examination such that he is not distracted by other items, policed by a minimum number of personnel during the isolated examination by the prospective purchaser, and safeguarded while on display.

Outstanding features of my invention include a fixed customer counter, preferably having a ring shape; a fixed control counter, preferably having a circular outer periphery and a cut-away inner section forming a central control area; and at least one movable intermediate counter shaped to conform to both the outer customer counter and the inner control counter, and movable between positions abutting the customer and control counters.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings a specific embodiment of the invention representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other construction adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top elevation of the fixed customer and control and movable transfer counters of the invention;

FIG. 2, a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 and showing the guide track and roller assembly; and

FIG. 3, a side elevation taken on line 33.

Referring to the drawing:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment three movable counters 10, 11 and 12 are positioned between a ringshaped outer customer counter 13 and an inner control counter 14 that has a circular outer periphery 15 and a central cut-away control area 16 within which clerks or other control personnel are positioned.

Customer counter 13 has a top surface 17 forming an overhanging edge 18 so that customers can sit on stools, not shown, or stand, close to the counter. The support pedestal 19 for counter 13 can be of any desired construction and in the illustrated embodiment has inner and outer rows of vertical supports 20 reinforced with cross struts 21L Decorative panels 22 cover the pedestal and add to counter appearance.

The customer counter'13 is fixed to the control counter 14 by rigid web members 23, and is supported by vertical supports 24. Decorative panels 25 provide an attractive facing for the front of counter 14. Top surface 26 not only overhangs the pedestal of control counter 14, but when the counter is used for sales purposes it is also preferably sloped upward away from the pedestal as illustrated in FIG. 2, to provide an easily observed display surface. Cash drawers, display shelves or other storage compartments can be readily provided beneath counter 14, as desired, the particular construction employed being dependent on the purposes for which the fixed and movable counters of the invention are used. The rigid interconnection between counters 13 and 14 gives stability to the entire unit.

The movable counters 10, 11, and 12 are each positioned within the area defined by inner and outer counters 13 and 14 and an adjacent pair of the web members 23. Each of the movable counters includes a pedestal framework 27, a top surface 28, and a bottom surface 29. Fixed to the surfaces 29 are a plurality of ball bearing sheaves 30, the number required being dependent on the size and weight of the counter. The sheave bearings ride on corresponding rails 31 anchored either to the building floor on which the counters are positioned, or, preferably, to a separate counter floor 32 interconnecting the inner and outer counters 13 and 14. Decorative panels 33 cover the front of each of the movable counters.

The counters are dimensioned such that a person sitting or standing at the outer periphery of customer counter 13 cannot unobtrusively reach the movable counters when they are moved to their position abutting control counter 14. The height of the counter is determined by the particular job requirements.

To move the movable counters between their two extreme positions abutting counters 13 and 14, a handle 34 is fixed to each movable counter and extends through counter 14 to the central control area. Pulling on one of the handles 34 will move the attached movable counter into abutting engagement with counter 14, whereas pushing on one of the handles will move the attached movable counter into abutment with counter 13. During the movement inwardly extending portions 13a of customer counter 13 guide the travel of the movable counters. Obviously, conventional electric or hydraulic motors can be employed to move the counters and, especially for large heavy counters this will be most desirable.

Hinged counter doors 35, 36, and 37 are provided in the top surfaces of counters 12, 13, and 14, respectively. These counter doors are hinged at 38 and rest on abutment 39 to provide a continuation of the counter surface. When raised, the counter doors allow entrance to, and exit from, the central control area. In this connection it should be noted that the decorative panels 22 and 26 do not extend across the area of the counter pedestals beneath the hinged counter doors, a clear passageway through the counter is afforded by raising the counter doors.

When the unit is used as a display counter merchandise is positioned on control counter 13 such that it can be easily seen by prospective customers. After a customer has made a selection of an item that he would like to examine more closely, the clerk within the control counter places it on the nearest movable counter and moves that counter until it abuts the fixed customer counter 14. The customer can then easily closely examine the item Without being distracted by other assorted articles. The clerk need only watch the one article closely since all others are well beyond the normal reach of a thiefand should an attempt be made to reach across the customer counter, the movable counter and the intervening space the individual making the attempt would be very noticeable.

Although here illustrated and described with particular reference to a circular unit, this shape being preferred because of its pleasing architectural appearance, and the high degree of control that can be exercised by a minimum number of persons located within the control counter, other arrangements can be made using fixed and movable counters in accordance with the invention.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred construction of apparatus which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other constructions adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. An article display and transfer counter unit comprising a pair of spaced counters; a movable counter positioned intermediate said pair of spaced counters; and manually operated means at the side of one of said spaced counters opposite the movable counter for moving said movable counter between an extreme position abutting one of said pair of spaced counters and spaced from the 4 other counter and another extreme position abutting the other of said' counters and spaced from said one counter.

2. An article display and transfer counter unit according to claim 1, wherein the manually operated means for moving the transfer counters includes a handle fixed to each of the transfer counters and extending through one of the spaced control counters to a control area, and rollers mounted on the bottom of each of the transfer counters.

3. An article display and transfer counter unit according to claim 1, wherein means are provided to rigidly interconnect the spaced counters.

4. An article display and transfer counter unit comprising a ring shaped outer customer counter; an inner control counter having a circular outer periphery and control area formed centrally thereof; a plurality of movable transfer counters positioned between said customer and control counters; and means, including operating means in said control space for moving said transfer counters between extreme positions abutting said customer and control counters.

5. An article display and transfer counter unit according to claim 4, wherein the means for moving the transfer counters includes a handle fixed to each of the transfer counters and extending through the control counter to said control area, and rollers mounted on the bottom of each of the transfer counters.

6. An article display and transfer counter unit according to claim 4, wherein means are provided to rigidly interconnect the customer counter and the control counter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 329,992 11/1885 Appell 312-239 X 908,710 1/1909 Thompson 312320 X 2,101,230 12/1937 Anderson 312-198 2,660,504 11/1953 Bridge 3l2-329 2,726,912 12/ 1955 Wassell 312198 2,880,048 3/1959 Weston 312198 2,900,045 8/1959 Conklin et al 312140.2 2,995,408 8/1961 Kobrin 312-1402 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

4. AN ARTICLE DISPLAY AND TRANSFER COUNTER UNIT COMPRISING A RING SHAPED OUTER CUSTOMER COUNTER; AN INNER CONTROL COUNTER HAVING A CIRCULAR OUTER PERIPHERY AND CONTROL AREA FORMED CENTRALLY THEREOF; A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE TRANSFER COUNTERS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID CUSTOMER AND CONTROL COUNTERS; AND MEANS, INCLUDING OPERATING MEANS IN SAID CONTROL SPACE FOR MOVING SAID TRANSFER COUNTERS BETWEEN EXTREME POSITIONS ABUTTING SAID CUSTOMER AND CONTROL COUNTERS.
 5. AN ARTICLE DISPLAY AND TRANSFER COUNTER UNIT ACCORDING TO CLAIM 4, WHEREIN THE MEANS FOR MOVING THE TRANSFER COUNTERS INCLUDES A HANDLE FIXED TO EACH OF THE TRANSFER COUNTERS AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE CONTROL COUNTER TO SAID CONTROL AREA, AND ROLLERS MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF THE TRANSFER COUNTERS. 